By Raffique Shah
March 09, 2014
That Trinidad Carnival is today mostly a feast of the flesh in its most carnal manifestation should surprise no one. We have worked very hard, over decades, to get here. Now that we have reached the pinnacle—a sea of near-naked bodies gyrating and simulating sex acts that put the Kama Sutra to pale—we should rejoice.
Continue reading Feast of the flesh
By Yvonne Baboolal
February 25, 2014 – guardian.co.tt
Homosexuality is not only threatening the arts but is used to indoctrinate gang members, says artist LeRoy Clarke. The T&T Guardian asked Clarke to elaborate on the comment he made last week at his book launch which shocked and outraged some of his fellow artists, members of the gay community and others. In a phone interview yesterday, Clarke related homosexuality to the increase in crime, saying young men are usually indoctrinated into gangs with homosexuality and because of the violation of their manhood use the gun as a symbol of their masculinity.
Continue reading Homosexuality threatens the arts, fuels crime—Clarke
By Kim Boodram
January 15, 2014 – trinidadexpress.com
Satnarayan Maharaj, secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), yesterday blamed the death of Pennywise stores heiress, Dian Paladee, at the hands of her former husband, on an “anger” that has settled on the country.
Continue reading Sat blames Dian’s death on ‘anger’ in T&T
How should we approach Faith and Feminism in the Caribbean?
By Corey Gilkes
January 06, 2014
I wouldn’t mind doing about two or three articles expressing my opinions on the topic. Not sure why, I suppose fools really do rush in where……. Anyhow, it partly stems from the IGDS conference last week plus something I saw in a post two mornings ago, particularly two words: “fornication” and “adultery.” I don’t know why the person’s use of the two words struck me given that they are still commonly used but I suppose I’m always deluding myself that in this age of accessing information with just a click, certain terms would die a natural death as people become more conscious.
Continue reading Worship and Women, Wha’s De Scene?
By Corey Gilkes
October 30, 2013
On Friday there was an interesting and important discussion on the BBC as part of its week-long commemoration of 100 women. The discussion explored the question “Is motherhood and impediment to equality”? Well with a title like that it was clear from what cultural context someone was thinking, but more on that in a lil bit. It was clear that many in the room felt the same way as the initial vote showed that 73% believed that it did and at the end of the discussion that figure only decreased by 3%.
Continue reading My View on the BBC’s Discussion on Motherhood and Equality
By Raffique Shah
October 20, 2013
This local government elections campaign was the nastiest ever in the history of this country.
And three man-rats, abetted by their respective executives, can take credit for having reduced electioneering to a level so low, anything worse will be burrowing the sewer mains. Dip your heads Jack Warner, Anand Ramlogan and Roodal Moonilal.
Continue reading Nastiest campaign ever
By Richardson Dhalai
October 07, 2013 – newsday.co.tt
Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Harris yesterday stated that the Church would not be drawn into any debate on whether it would sanction same sex marriages.
He said the Roman Catholic Church’s position on gay marriages “very clear,” and according to the Archbishop, there was a difference between “loving the sinner and hating the sin”.
Continue reading Local Churches: We won’t marry gays
By Corey Gilkes
June 19, 2013 – www.trinicenter.com/Gilkes
They say the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Regarding Trinis, that will have to be revised to include people who do NOTHING, close their eyes in denial and either expect different results or that the issues will somehow work themselves out – what the late Lloyd Best called “unresponsibility.” On Monday a boy who hadn’t even begun to live yet had his life taken away in a fight reportedly over a girl in the same school. Over the last couple days I listened to several talk shows and was almost lulled to sleep by the usual hand-wringing and cries of “oh how could this have happened,” “lord, wha dis place coming to” yap, yap, yap and all manner of nonsense.
Continue reading CONTROL YUH PROPERTY(?!)
By Corey Gilkes
May 30, 2013
Anyone needing confirmation that our organised religious bodies are by and large irrelevant and stultifying entities should look no further than their views concerning the National Gender Policy (NGP) here in Trinidad along with the LGBTQ and abortion issues. By now it should be common knowledge that Minister Marlene Coudray announced that the issue of same-sex relationships and equality would not be included in the discussion on the NGP. Frankly, it is of no surprise to me that the NGP is being watered down in the way it is; much of the impetus behind this diluting is coming from, predictably, the conservative religious bodies in the country – and no doubt the instinctive bias and prejudices among those in the political elites. This is being done by the time-honoured practice of isolating such issues as the LGBTQ question (which really isn’t what the NGP is about), then eventually other topics, just wait and see.
Continue reading Religion and the National Gender Policy – Keep the Myths Out
“A black woman is no different to any other woman”
By Akilah Holder – Trinidad Express – March 08, 2013
www.trinidadexpress.com/woman-magazine/A_black_woman-196637151.html
Continue reading A Female’s Scorn